Monday, January 17, 2011

Activities that Can Energize Your Students

Are you in a teaching rut? Are your lessons just a little blah? The winter months can be long if you and your students are stuck in routines that are all too predictable. If you find that your students are taking a lackluster approach to their assignments, try something new and fun to help them achieve more. Here are five easy activities that will make learning fun for your students.

Tingo Tango:

Students stand in a circle rapidly passing a soft ball around the circle as the teacher repeatedly says, “Tingo.” At random intervals, the teacher will say “Tango” instead of “Tingo.” The student holding the ball at that point will have to answer a question or call out a fact.

Two Minute Questions:

Pose a question and give students two minutes to write responses before sharing with group members, the entire class, or study buddies.

Whip Around:

Seat small groups of students in circles. Hand each group a sheet of paper and ask one student in each group to write a response to a question or idea about a topic. That student then passes the sheet to the next and so on as quickly as possible in a specified time limit.

Word Splash:

Students generate a list of words associated with a particular unit of study before beginning the unit to increase background knowledge. Students can also be given a list of words to be alert for as they begin studying.

Work Stations:

Students work in various areas of the room at the same time. They perform different tasks at each station. Students do not have to complete the same work or complete it in the same time period. Even older students have fun with this approach to their work.

Now for readers everywhere: what do you do to add a bit of interest to your classes? Share learning activities that you use to energize your students!